Seasonal Produce Guide
Nothing beats fresh Ontario fruits and vegetables! The impending arrival of the first crops of summer has sent us into our archives to find three delicious recipes by way of celebration. Matching each one with a fine Ontario wine is a lovely way to welcome the new growing season.
Strawberries
Picked when they’re ripe and ready, Ontario strawberries have a gorgeous fragrance and flavour. Look for firm berries with a deep, even colour. Keep them refrigerated, and use them within a day or two.
Malivoire Ladybug Rosé
Spinach, nuts and berries make for an unexpectedly substantial salad in our Strawberry Macadamia Nut & Spinach Salad with Honey Mustard Vinaigrette, and Ladybug is up for the matching challenge. Not quite dry and with a lush, full body, it complements rather than mimics the strawberries, offering a complex impression of raspberry, pomegranate and rose petals. Serve it lightly chilled for maximum enjoyment.
Cherries
Tart, intensely flavourful Montmerency cherries are in season in Ontario in June and July. Ideal for both sweet and savoury recipes, they add sharpness which helps balance flavours wherever they are used.
Flat Rock Cellars Pinot Noir
It’s almost too obvious – the flavour bridge between the cherries in our Hanger Steak with Grilled Onions & Sweet and Sour Cherries and the cherry flavour in the wine. But this reliable and bargain-priced Pinot has more going for it than mere fruit. Look for floral or spicy oak or mushroomy herbal notes and you’ll find them, with some smooth tannins to flatter the steak.
Radishes
Ontario radishes are available from May through October. Buy them in a bunch with tops attached, checking for firm roots and healthy green leaves. Radishes past their best can be firmed up with an hour in ice water.
Trius Sauvignon Blanc
Goat cheese, lemon zest and thyme all play their roles in this creamy Early Summer Risotto with Radishes & Goat Cheese – flavours that harmonize beautifully with Sauvignon Blanc. Trius’s version is impeccably balanced, with a crisp refreshing acidity. There’s a hint of oak, too, but not enough to hide the wine’s fresh aromas of gooseberry and grapefruit zest.
